Women’s participation in democracy isn’t defined solely by those who hold office or draft legislation. It also belongs to those who have lived through the fractures of our social safety net, who feel in their bones the stakes of every policy choice and who step forward to demand something better, not just for themselves, but for everyone still standing on that fragile ground.
With that in mind, I invited Amanda Treppa to join me on The Female Body Politic in our special series with Emerge. A working mom, business leader, and Emerge National Signature Program alum, Amanda is running for the Michigan State Senate with a platform shaped by firsthand experience in the foster care system, homelessness, and workplace trauma — along with recovery, resilience, and unshakable strength.
Born and raised in Metro Detroit, Amanda navigated instability from an early age, finding lifelines in public school teachers, part-time jobs, and sheer grit. Her story isn’t the polished arc of a career politician. It’s the lived reality of someone who knows exactly what it means when systems fail, and who dares to change them.
From championing workplace psychological safety to advocating for better schools and stronger communities, Amanda’s campaign embodies the principle that government should be led by those who understand, intimately, the lives it touches.
Amanda Treppa’s candidacy is more than a bid for office. It’s a testament to the power of resilience, the necessity of empathy in leadership, and the belief that every challenge can become a mandate for justice.
My interview with Amanda is part of a continuing series with Emerge, America’s premier organization that recruits, trains, and connects women who want to run for office - changing the face of American democracy in real time.
Together, this series is building a guide for anyone curious about what it really takes to run for office, especially for the first time.
Tune in, subscribe, and get inspired.
